DES MOINES, Iowa–(BUSINESS WIRE)–More American workers recognize the rewards of participating in workplace wellness programs, according to the latest Principal Financial Well-Being IndexSM: American Workers. Sixty-two percent of workers, up from 55 percent 2011, believe workplace wellness activities are successful in improving health and reducing health risks.
“In the wake of the financial crisis, which has left many companies stretched thin, maintaining a productive workforce is a priority for organizations.”
The index, which surveys American workers at growing businesses with 10-1,000 workers1, is released by the Principal Financial Group® and conducted by Harris Interactive®. These findings focusing specifically on wellness attitudes and behaviors among American workers were taken from the fourth quarter 2012 Index.
By taking advantage of workplace wellness offerings, American employees are approaching their work with more energy and motivation. Fifty-one percent of program participants feel wellness benefits encourage them to work harder and perform better, and another 59 percent of program participants say they have more energy to be productive at work as a result of their participation in employer-sponsored wellness programs.
“As wellness programs become more established in the workplace, we are seeing a growing number of employees appreciate – and expect – that their employer offers these benefits,” said Lee Dukes, president of Principal Wellness Company, a subsidiary of the Principal Financial Group. “In the wake of the financial crisis, which has left many companies stretched thin, maintaining a productive workforce is a priority for organizations.”
Nearly half (45 percent) of employees agree that an employer-sponsored wellness program would encourage them to stay in their current employment situation, up from 40 percent 2011. Additionally, 43 percent of participants say wellness programs have led them to miss fewer days of work, up eight percent from 2011. Despite the apparent benefits, about a third (34 percent) of workers still do not participate in any of the wellness programs offered by their employers.
Employer Incentives on the Rise
As wellness programs become more popular, employers are offering a variety of ways to encourage employees to participate. The survey shows the top three ways employees are encouraged by their employers to participate in wellness programs are: encouragement by management (20 percent), lower health insurance costs to those who participate (20 percent), or allotted time for participation during the workday (20 percent, up from 9 percent). Only a little more than a third (36 percent) say their employers do not offer any encouragement to participate in wellness benefits, a significant divergence from the previous three years, when about half of participants said their employer did nothing to encourage wellness program participation.
Participants also cited an increase in the following employer incentives:
Seventeen percent, up from 9 percent the previous year, say their employer offers contributions into a health savings account or health reimbursement account;
Sixteen percent, up from 12 percent the previous year, say their employer provides other financial incentives such as gift certificates or discounts for those who participate;
And 10 percent, up from 6 percent the previous year, report that their employer rewards additional paid time off from work to participants.
“It’s in every employer’s interest to have healthier, happier, more productive employees,” said Dukes. “Employers have to do more than offer wellness programs; in order to see the benefits, they have to incent participation.”